Pilate was instrumental in Christ’s death and burial. As the Roman leader overseeing the rule of the people, Pilate understood the deception (caused by envy) and yet played along with the political process. #arroganceofman #fauxpower
The beatings and scornful remarks that Christ endured were from 600 men, trained in brutality. At the crucifixion site, the centurion who watched Jesus die, testified that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. Who else would have had the ability to endure this treatment, forgive their enemies and still accomplish what he set out to do-to literally pay sin’s penalty for the whole world.
God the Father was instrumental in Christ’s resurrection. He raised him up in power.
(Ephesians 1:1-15 NET, emphasis added) For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you when I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you spiritual wisdom and revelation in your growing knowledge of him, 18 – since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened – so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the incomparable greatness of his power toward us who believe, as displayed in the exercise of his immense strength. 20This power he exercised in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms 21 far above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And God put all things under Christ’s feet, and he gave him to the church as head over all things.23 Now the church is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
I listened to an “older” recorded clip by Billy Graham Where did God come from? this week asking if we understood how God came into existence. He emphasized that we don’t know but we still place our faith in Him. The Bible urges us to take a step of faith in order to be transferred from death to life. (Romans 6:23)
Changed lives are the biggest witness to the power of Christ (watch Jesus Revolution). It will change your life today! -Teresa #sinsforgiven #relationshipwithGod #authenticpower
Mark 15:1-47 (ESV) emphasis added
Jesus Delivered to Pilate
15 And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.
Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified
6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas.8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9 And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead.12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?”13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged[a] Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
Jesus Is Mocked
16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters),[b] and they called together the whole battalion.[c]17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”19 And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.
The Crucifixion
21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour[d] when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.[e]29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!”31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.
The Death of Jesus
33 And when the sixth hour[f] had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.[g]34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he[h]breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son[i] of God!”
40 There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.
Jesus Is Buried
42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died.[j] And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph.46 And Joseph[k] bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.Read full chapter
Footnotes
Mark 15:15 A Roman judicial penalty, consisting of a severe beating with a multi-lashed whip containing embedded pieces of bone and metal
If someone were to ask me what I considered as one of the most misunderstood aspects of following Jesus, my answer would have to include how we view and deal with our sin nature that still resides within us. And if perchance, there are some who would deny that we who believe and trust in Jesus, still have a sin nature, I would draw your attention to 1 Corinthians 15:50-53 NASB, which reads as follows: “Now I say this, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I am telling you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.” Emphasis is mine. And why are we perishable and mortal while in these bodies of flesh and blood? Because the sin that resides within us is still present, but the spiritual consequences of sin (condemnation) has been dealt with by Jesus, on the cross. Because Jesus lives, we also shall live. We are now justified (while in these bodies of flesh and blood) in the sight of God our Father, because our justification is in our faith and trust in what Jesus accomplished for us on our behalf, in accordance with God the Father’s will.
I would put forward that the following Scripture verse (among others), comes into play.
1 John 3:7-9 NASB reads as follows: “Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who has been born of God practices sin, because His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin continually, because he has been born of God.” Emphasis is mine.
The ESV puts is this way: “Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.”
The Greek word for practises is ποιῶν (poiōn) Verb – Present Participle Active – Nominative Masculine Singular Strong’s Greek 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.
Typically we hear this articulated as habitual sin, that which an individual consistently does or practises. Prior to becoming Christians (born again), we collectively followed the desires and objectives of our sinful nature. I could go into examples but I’m pretty sure you know full well what some of those desires and objectives were. And, I am also sure you recognize that this sinful nature not only included what we did but also what we thought. The essence of our being was focused on fulfilling our own will and our own desires.
But when we become born again, the essence of our hearts change and those things that used to control us and attract us, lose their power and we progressively are drawn towards following the will of God, versus our own will and fulfilling His desires versus our own. This is the sanctification process where we are progressively changed into His image. I am of the opinion that this process never stops while we are here in these bodies of flesh and blood and our completion in Jesus is only realized when we see Jesus face to face. “For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
But how does this relate to what we practise?
Notice the direction of the arrows in the picture above. Following our own sinful nature takes us away from God, while abandoning our previous sinful nature takes us closer to God. We cannot go in both directions consistently at the same time. We can indeed try, but it will not work. Sooner or later, if we are truly desiring to follow Jesus, we will, of necessity, become more and more conformed to who He is, versus who we are. If our rebirth is a valid rebirth, and not just a momentary mental agreement, that we quickly forget and carry on as if nothing significant happened, those changes on a variety of levels, progressively will continue. I call it the “onion effect” because there are multiple levels of awarenesses involved and we rarely comprehend the size of the onion within us that God is dealing with.
I’ve spoken before of the ramifications that we experience when we falter, fail or fall short at times, and I personally know of no one who has not or does not experience these realities. No one that I am aware of is holy like God is holy 24/7. Jesus was holy, 24/7 but I as of yet, have not been brought to completion in Him, nor will I be until I see Him face to face. He and He alone is the originator and the perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
This is NOT a post that is advocating in any way, shape or form, about using grace as an excuse to continue sinning. You can try it (like I and many others have) if you want to, but I surely don’t advocate it, because when we do so, we are heading in the wrong direction. “Feel distant from God? Who moved?”
The “practising” aspect that I am advocating is the continuing on aspect. Acknowledgement (confession), repentance (turning away from), and seeking forgiveness aspect. We have this spelled out for us in 1 John 2:1-2, which reads: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
And 1 John 1:9 NASB which reads: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Emphasis is mine.
Also in 1 John 2:28-29 NASB which reads: “Now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not draw back from Him in shame at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness also has been born of Him.” Emphasis is mine.
It’s what you practise that counts with God. It’s basically our way or His way. Practise righteousness, don’t practise sin or lawlessness. Get up when you fall or falter, keep on enduring. Keep on pressings towards the goal like the Apostle Paul admonishes us to do.
Philippines 3:12-16 NASB: “Not that I have already grasped it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, all who are mature, let’s have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that to you as well; however, let’s keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.”
Recruitment ads in 1917 America were often emblazoned with the slogan, “What did you do in the Great War, Grandpa?” This was done to appeal to the American spirit of the day, which was reluctant to back down to any challenge or any enemy, particularly those perceived as aggressors hellbent on world domination. As recruiters accurately predicted, red-blooded machismo sent young men scurrying for adventure across the nation, and eventually over the Atlantic Ocean to France.
General George Patton said, “Americans love to fight. All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner, the big-league ball players and the toughest boxers. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser.”
Simply put, George Patton wanted to be the one to drive the Germans to Berlin, twice. He wanted to be the general with whom the fate of the war effort rested. He, along with other American war heroes like Washington, Jackson, Chamberlain, Roosevelt, and MacArthur, understood the same exact truth my own father told me – “the best officers go to the sound of the guns.”
There are always support positions in every battle or serious undertaking. Many famous athletes in the 20th century signed up to serve but did so by selling war bonds and cutting commercials. Financing a war machine is absolutely a critical task, but not one that is able to define a man as an indispensable leader like snatching victory from the jaws of defeat in a must-win conflict. The most critical leaders of all time are remembered for their respective roles in the heat of a battle, or in penning a signature on a document constituting “treason.”
In this lesson, I contend that all major challenges facing America will be resolved by the “generals” being at the heart of the solutions. Nothing great in history has been accomplished without catastrophic consequences being possible for the one waging the battle. Throughout the ages, consider the cost to Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King, Jr., William Wallace, the D-Day invasion force, George Washington and the Founders, the early Christian church, and of course, the architect of the Christian faith, Jesus Christ.
Many pray for the deliverance of America and a return to a just society but want to avoid the scrutiny and persecution that comes from standing up for truth in a society that has come to value comfort and propaganda, choosing easy wrongs over hard rights. If faith without works is dead (James 2:17), how can we expect God to answer a prayer to punish evil and deliver America if danger is not undertaken, and risk accepted?
Those who gain notoriety and come to the brink of impacting major change over a pillar of evil in modern society will face stiff opposition, particularly from the media, which seeks to perpetuate corruption and bury truth seekers under threat of intimidation, harassment, and doxing. Therefore, many choose to remain silent, hoping that another will rise and deliver the victory. In Scripture, Esther was charged with saving the Jewish people from extermination. She sensed her role in history, and was willing to do it, but Mordecai had this to say:
“…If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14
Esther had guaranteed comfort, wealth, and prestige as queen of Persia. She could have chosen the easy wrong over the hard right, but did the opposite, saving the people and becoming lionized for all of history and known for bravery. Comfort will only last so long in this society, which passivity has robbed of its fighting spirit as we drift toward a nation that is nearly unrecognizable from its prestigious founding. Many enjoy an unprecedented quality of life thanks to our national prosperity gained during America’s period as the world’s superpower, and wrongly believe that same standard will automatically extend to posterity.
The lesson never changes throughout history. The best leaders go to where the action is, because that is where they make their lasting mark on society. Only those willing to step into a hot kitchen will be capable of delivering lasting impact.
Subscribe to Captain K’s Corner
By Capt. Seth Keshel · Thousands of paid subscribers
There is immense power in the Blood of Jesus, but it’s one of the most misunderstood themes of the Bible.
Many people try to use Christ’s Blood almost like a good-luck charm.
If the Blood of Jesus has such power, exactly what does it have the power to do?
A workman was repairing a stained-glass window when the pastor came along.
They went outside together to admire the workmanship. “That looks very good but isn’t that piece a bit loose?” asked the pastor.
Just as he said it, a piece of glass broke loose and fell out of the window and cut the workman’s ear off. “Augh”, screamed the workman. “I’ve lost my ear.”
Immediately the pastor remembered how Peter cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant, and Jesus healed him.
He thought, “This is it! It’s my moment. I was born for such a time as this. I can be a man of faith and power.”
He bent down, picked up the ear, held it out to the workman and asked, “Is this your ear?”
“No! That’s not mine!” the workman yelled. “Mine had a pencil behind it.”
So often, we look for the kind of power that works miracles, does signs, and wonders, and brings blessing, (like a magical formula) but we don’t use the power available to us every single day.
God has put at tremendous power at our disposal.
Today, let’s consider something that’s part of the foundation of the Christian faith: The Power of the Blood of Jesus.
The Bible teaches 3 things that are achieved by the Blood of Jesus Christ.
1. Cleansing
Stains can be a real problem.
If you have my talent to drop something down your front nearly every time you eat, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
There’s a book called How to Clean Practically Anything — There’s a whole chapter devoted to stain removal.
Detailed instructions tell how to remove stains caused by acids, alkalis, glues, blood, pens, antiperspirants, BBQ sauce, bird droppings, fruit juice – the list is huge.
How can you deal with all those stains?
You need a complicated kit of lemon juice, ammonia, vinegar, glycerin, methylated spirits, soda water, meat tenderizer, salt, borax, and a gazillion other items.
But there’s a stain so deep that absolutely nothing on that list can remove it.
It’s the stain left by sin on the human soul.
But God has made available to us the universe’s most powerful stain remover to deal with it – The Blood of Jesus.
Revelation 1:5-6 — and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
He cleansed us from the stain of sin by washing us in His own Blood.
Of course, all stain removers need to be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The Blood of Jesus is no exception.
So how does this work?
There are two kinds of sin the Blood of Jesus deals with powerfully.
Both kinds of sin are cleansed by the Blood of Jesus, but the Blood is activated differently in each case.
The first is known sin; sins in our lives that we’re aware of—the definition of sin is “Aknown transgression against the known Will of God.” We know when we sin!
When we realize we’ve sinned how can we apply the cleansing power of the Blood?
1 John 1:9 — “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
Isn’t that simple?
To confess means to admit it, take responsibility for it, no excuses, no ifs, no buts, no blaming someone else for what we’ve done.
The Blood of Jesus cleanses sin, but it doesn’t cleanse excuses.
Our problem is we try to cover up, excuse it away!
Maybe if we ignore it long enough it will go away! NOT SO!
Covering up achieves nothing; but confession brings cleansing.
One of the tests for potential paratroopers is a psychological evaluation asking, “If you’re looking down from a high-rise building, do you ever want to jump?”
Apparently, the correct answer is “yes.”
That’s the kind of person they’re looking for. But most of us feel just a little bit uneasy.
If you’re like me, when you hear about a guy stringing a tightrope between two high-rise buildings, it makes your mind boggle and your spine tingle.
I don’t get it; a couple hundred feet is a long way to fall, and people don’t bounce!
If I were a tightrope walker, I would think the risks are so high I’d need a very important piece of equipment – a safety net — Just in case I fall.
That’s exactly what God has done for us.
Imagine if salvation worked like this: I give my life to Jesus, and God says to me, “I forgive you for all your past sins.” I say, “Thank you so much, Lord. That’s a great relief.” Then God says, “However, if you ever sin again, you’ll go straight to Hell.”
What hope would that leave for any of us?
But God in His Grace provided a safety net for us, The Blood of Jesus.
So, if you fall, if you yield to temptation and sin in any way, you can have access to ongoing cleansing.
But here’s a problem.
That deals with sin you’re aware of: What about the stuff we’re not aware of? Like your carnal nature (Sin you are born with) You can’t confess something you’re not aware of.
No, but you can yield control of that sinful nature to God for cleansing.
Romans 12:1-2
Sin is like an iceberg – great big masses of frozen fresh water floating in a salty sea. The largest iceberg ever was discovered in 1956 and was 206.917 miles by 62.137 miles.
85.7% of the iceberg is below the water level. The most dangerous part of an iceberg is unseen.
Sin is like that.
Human nature is riddled with sin, but most of it we’re not aware of till the Holy Spirit puts His finger on it.
How can you deal with something you’re not aware of?
How can you be cleansed of something you can’t even confess because you’re unaware of it?
Here’s the solution:
1 John 1:7 — But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
To walk in the light is to obey the Truth God has already revealed.
If you’re obedient to things God has already shown you, two things will happen.
One, you’ll have fellowship with other Christians.
The natural result of walking in the light is that Christians want to be with other Christians.
If a Christian doesn’t like to be with other Christians, maybe they aren’t walking in the light.
The second thing is The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin, including stuff we’re not even aware of yet.
So, the Blood of Jesus cleanses you from sin you know about when you confess it.
And it cleanses you from sin you aren’t aware of as you walk in the light.
The first great benefit of the blood of Jesus Christ is cleansing.
2. Access To God’s Presence
Hebrews 4:16 — “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”
Wow! Bold access to the very Throne of God!
I wonder if you appreciate what that means, the magnitude of what God’s offering us.
I’m reminded the book of Esther when Mordecai was encouraging her to petition King Ahasuerus on behalf of the Jews.
Esther 4:11 — Her response was, “I can’t do that! All the king’s officials and even the people in the provinces know that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter. And the king has not called for me to come to him for thirty days.”
Even though she was the queen that law applied to Esther.
The king was completely unapproachable except by invitation.
But God’s no ordinary earthly king: He’s the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, Creator and Master of the universe.
So how approachable is He? He wasn’t approachable in the Old Testament.
Exodus 33:20 — But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.”
His presence is too holy.
Nobody was allowed to touch the Ark of the Covenant which represented the presence of God.
When the Ark was being transported to Jerusalem and began to tip, Uzzah stretched out his hand to steady it and was immediately struck dead.
When the Ark of the Covenant was finally in the Holiest Place in the temple, nobody could go in and see it except the high priest once a year.
God’s presence was regarded as very holy, and access into God’s presence was extremely limited.
But the moment Jesus died, the curtain cordoning off the Holiest Place was torn in two “from top to bottom”.
Mark 15:38 — And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
The Blood of Jesus bought for us free access into the holy presence of God.
Hebrews 10:19 — “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.”
3. Redemption
Ephesians 1:7 — He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
This is how redemption used to work under the Law of Moses.
Exodus 21:28-30: “If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its flesh may not be eaten. In such a case, however, the owner will not be held liable. 29 But suppose the ox had a reputation for goring, and the owner had been informed but failed to keep it under control. If the ox then kills someone, it must be stoned, and the owner must also be put to death. 30 However, the dead person’s relatives may accept payment to compensate for the loss of life. The owner of the ox may redeem his life by paying whatever is demanded.
A man is dragged before the judge. The accuser says, “This man’s ox gored my son to death.” The judge replies, “That’s a fairly simple matter. The ox shall be destroyed.“
The accuser: “No, it’s not that simple. He’s been warned before that his ox is dangerous.”
“Are there any witnesses to this?”
“Yes, I’ve warned him too”, says a witness. “So have I”, says another.
“Then the matter’s still very simple. The ox shall be destroyed, and this man shall be stoned to death. Take him away and execute him.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” the owner of the ox cries out. “I’ve got money. I’ve got gold. I can pay. Just spare my life.”
They work out a deal, and the man pays a lot of money in exchange for his life.
That act of paying a price in exchange for his life is called redemption.
His life was forfeit, and he bought it back.
But why in the world would I need to be redeemed?
1 John 5:19 — We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.
We were once enslaved to sin.
Romans 6:14 — Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.
We were in bondage and had a spirit of bondage.
Romans 8:15 — So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”
This whole world is enslaved to the Devil, and our lives were forfeit.
Except the Blood of Jesus paid the full price to redeem us!
Acts 20:28: “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders.
What’s so special about the Blood of Jesus? How can the Blood of one man pay the price to redeem the whole world?
Imagine a bank robbery and everything’s gone wrong.
The robbers have a dozen hostages. They’re threatening to kill them all.
A public-spirited citizen walks past, notices the plight of all the hostages, and calls out to the robbers, “Don’t harm them. Take me instead. You release them and take my life in exchange”.
The abductors respond, “Why would we want to exchange twelve hostages for one? You volunteering to die? Fine, we’ll release one person and take you, but you can’t swap your life for all of them. You’re just another human.”
Value for value. One life for one life.
This same principle is taught in the Old Testament, it’s called the Law of Talion.
Exodus 21:23-25: But if there is further injury, the punishment must match the injury: a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bruise.
It’s a spiritual principle that you can only be compensated by the same amount as your loss.
Let’s go back to our siege. Imagine the man offering to swap places with the hostages suddenly identifies himself as the President of the United States.
What do you think would be the response of the abductors now?
Do you think they’d be willing to swap twelve hostages for the President of the United States?
Of course they would!
The President has far more value to them than twelve ordinary citizens.
This same principle carries over into the spiritual realm.
If Jesus were just a human, He’d be able to give His life for only one other person.
As a sinless perfect human, He’d have to choose which sinner He’d give His life for.
One life for one life, value for value, the Law of Talion.
Because He is fully human and fully divine, that makes Him worth infinitely more than an ordinary human being.
His infinite value means He could die for everybody — all the sinners who ever lived or will live.
So, the third thing the Blood of Jesus has accomplished for us is Redemption.
His Blood has bought and paid for you and released you from bondage.
The Blood of Jesus Christ has awesome power.
If you need to know you’ve been cleansed of all sin, totally forgiven, you can!
You can put your trust in the Blood of Jesus, it never fails!
You can have instant access into God’s presence through the Blood.
And we have redemption through the Blood.
WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY SIN? NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS!
WHAT CAN MAKE ME WHOLE AGAIN? NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS!
OH! PRECIOUS IS THE FLOW THAT MAKES ME WHITE AS SNOW.
NO OTHER FOUNT I KNOW, NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS!
Don't believe in the Devil?
That's exactly where Satin wants you. He and his demonic hosts are working hard to deceive you because he knows his time is running out and he will soon be cast into the bottomless pit. One pastor told me to leave Satin alone because "If we leave him alone will leave us alone." That's dumb because he doesn't intend to leave you or your family alone. You must learn how to stand against him.
In this book you will find how:
-Demons enter in the first place.
-How to be set free from demonic bondage.
-How to stay free.
-Pit falls Satin hopes you will fall into so he can destroy you and your family.
-How to have a close walk with Jesus Christ and enjoy victory in your life.
Remember: THERE IS STILL POWER IN THE BLOOD!
I want to say a word to my fellow pastor friends about the upcoming film, Jesus Revolution.
As pastors, you and I have been called to teach the Word of God and proclaim the gospel. We want to see people come to Christ, and I believe the upcoming feature film, Jesus Revolution, will do just that.
It’s the story of how two very unexpected men came together—Pastor Chuck Smith and Lonnie Frisbee—resulting in the last great spiritual awakening in America, often called the Jesus Movement. It’s also a love story: the story of how I and Cathe met each other and came to Christ.
I want to emphasize that this is a well-made, powerful film. It’s being released by a major Hollywood film studio, Lionsgate, as well as Kingdom Story Company, and it was directed by the incredible storytellers Jon Erwin and Brent McCorkle.
We’ve done test screenings, and we have found a very high response from non-believers. They want to know more. They want to know how to have this relationship with God. This film is honest. It’s real. At times it’s kind of gritty, but it honors the Lord, and it presents the gospel in an artistic and powerful way.
So here’s my challenge to you: Would you consider buying out a theater in your backyard and then making the tickets available for your church? Additionally, consider encouraging the folks in your church to bring a non-believer with them.
Let’s fill our local theaters up with people to hear the gospel. And above all, let’s pray that God would send another great spiritual awakening to America.
I don’t know about you Christian, but here’s one fundamental of The Way that I struggle with immensely…
Heavenly rewards are obtained through self sacrifice and not through self defense.
There are times when I feel as if the whole world is tugging at me. Someone asks for this, or someone needs that. I can completely let this consume me, and I can become filled with anger/irritation. What makes it even worse is if someone comes at me with a bad attitude or is confrontational. Automatically I feel defensive and feel as if I need to seek vengeance or plot my revenge. I constantly need to keep reminding myself that God did not create me for the purpose of having a “vengeful spirit”, and that it is Satan who gives me a “nudge”.
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. (Romans 12:19)
Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them. (Deuteronomy 32:35)
O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself. (Psalm 94:1)
Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.” (Proverbs 24:29)
Does this mean as a Christian to be a “pushover”? Well what is a “pushover”? Here’s what Webster’s Dictionary says…
Pushover: an opponent who is easy to defeat or a victim who is capable of no effective resistance.
When God tells us that vengeance is His does this mean we are defeated or we have no effective resistance? NO, instead this means that if we don’t seek revenge and subdue our desire for vengeance God will work all things out for our good if we give it all to Him. So what happens when we do give in to our temptation to seek vengeance and revenge by trying to take someone down who is trying to elevate themselves above us in an authoritative, maybe an aggressive, or even a confrontational manner? Well, this means we are taking things into our own hands and we all know what happens when we do this. We tell God with our actions that… “I’m in control and You are not.”
We also reap what we sow. If you’re always quick to defend and position yourself so you’re the attacker instead of being attacked then you will forever be stuck in this vicious cycle and you will continue to get attacked. How did Christ promote change to break the chains of hatred in a world of constant self promotion and self elevation? By being selfless, meek, and mild. Serving…instead of serving Himself. Knowing he had power, but not “flexing” that power for personal gain. When we approach these types of difficult situations with complete humility we “flex” the fact that God has total power and control and that power and control will work things out for us.
You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also…
For long version of original Kevin Barry article, click this or this.
For over a century, various entities that are involved in the propaganda machinery that has been tasked by the powers-that-be to advance American patriotism and corporate profiteering have covered-up the truth about what actually started the epidemic of what became known as the “Spanish Flu”, successfully obscuring what was actually a shameful experiment perpetrated by the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research – the uber-wealthy entity that started the American Medical Association and the School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University
For over a century, Americans have been led to believe that what was the true epicenter of the pandemic – US Army military bases – was actually the result of a Rockefeller Instutute vaccine experiment gone awry. The culprit vaccine, nicely documented by author Kevin Barry was perpetrated upon hapless military recruits at a variety of bases in the US. Spain had nothing to do with the epidemic, except for actually allowing its journalists to write about it.
The experimental vaccine was devised when the only vaccine that had ever shown any promise in preventing disease was the smallpox vaccine (which, when evaluated in retrospect, didn’t actually deserve credit for the disappearance of smallpox, since only a small minority of world citizens every actually received the vaccine.)
The crude experimental vaccine was intended to theoretically prevent bacterial (not viral) meningitis in soldiers, which had been a problem in past wars. Barry nicely documents the story that has been left out of the history books, ignored by the Mainstream Media, deleted from the Pentagon archives, and misrepresented by the pharmaceutical and medical industries, the NIH, the CDC, the NIAID and every corporation that seeks to profit from vaccinating as many infants, children and adults that they can. And that includes, of course, the widely discredited Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that has spent hundreds of billions of dollars funding, founding and subsidizing corporations and other entities that promote universal vaccinations for whatever is proclaimed Big Pharma to be “vaccine-preventable disorders”)
A previous 4261 word Duty to Warn column can be accessed at various websites, including here.
Below are excerpts from the article that was written by author Kevin Barry, whose website is called First Freedoms.
***
By Kevin Barry
“During the war years 1918-19, the US Army ballooned to 6,000,000 men, with 2,000,000 men being sent overseas. The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research took advantage of this new pool of human guinea pigs to conduct vaccine experiments.”
“During WW1, the Rockefeller Institute also sent its experimental anti-meningococcal serum to England, France, Belgium, Italy and other countries, helping spread the epidemic worldwide.”
“The Rockefeller Institute and its experimental bacterial meningococcal vaccine, contrary to the accepted mythology may have killed 50-100 million people in 1918-1919.”
“The crude anti-bacterial vaccine used in the Fort Riley experiment on soldiers was made in horses.”
“According to a 2008 National Institute of Health paper, bacterial pneumonia was the killer in a minimum of 92.7% of the 1918-19 Pandemic autopsies reviewed.”
“Clean water, sanitation, flushing toilets, refrigerated foods and healthy diets have done and still do far more to protect humanity from infectious diseases than any vaccine program.”
“In 1918, the vaccine industry experimented on soldiers…with disastrous results—but in 2018, the vaccine industry experiments on infants every day. The vaccine schedule has never been tested as it is given. The results of the experiment are in: 1 in 7 of America’s fully vaccinated children is in some form of special education and over 50% have some form of chronic illness.” The “Spanish Flu” killed an estimated 50-100 million people during a pandemic 1918-19.”
What if the story we have been told about this pandemic isn’t true? What if, instead, the killer infection was neither the flu nor Spanish in origin?
Newly analyzed documents reveal that the “Spanish Flu” may have been a military vaccine experiment gone awry.
Summary
The reason modern technology has not been able to pinpoint the killer influenza strain from this pandemic is because influenza was not the killer.
More soldiers died during WWI from disease than from bullets.
The pandemic was not flu. An estimated 95% (or higher) of the deaths were caused by bacterial pneumonia, not an influenza virus.
The pandemic was not Spanish. The first cases of bacterial pneumonia in 1918 trace back to military bases, the first one in Fort Riley, Kansas.
From January 21 – June 4, 1918, an experimental bacterial meningitis vaccine cultured in horses by the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research in New York was injected into soldiers at Fort Riley.
During the remainder of 1918 as those soldiers – often living and traveling under poor sanitary conditions – were sent to Europe to fight, they spread bacteria at every stop between Kansas and the frontline trenches in France.
One study describes soldiers “with active infections (who) were aerosolizing the bacteria that colonized their noses and throats, while others—often, in the same “breathing spaces”—were profoundly susceptible to invasion of and rapid spread through their lungs by their own or others’ colonizing bacteria.” (1)
The “Spanish Flu” attacked healthy people in their prime. Bacterial pneumonia attacks people in their prime. Flu attacks the young, old and immunocompromised.
When WW1 ended on November 11, 1918, soldiers returned to their home countries and colonial outposts, spreading the killer bacterial pneumonia worldwide.
During WW1, the Rockefeller Institute also sent its experimental anti-meningococcal serum to England, France, Belgium, Italy and other countries, helping spread the epidemic worldwide.
During the pandemic of 1918-19, the so-called “Spanish Flu” killed 50-100 million people, including many soldiers.
Many people do not realize that disease killed far more soldiers on all sides than machine guns or mustard gas or anything else typically associated with WWI.
I have a personal connection to the Spanish Flu. Among those killed by disease in 1918-19 are members of both of my parents’ families.
On my father’s side, his grandmother Sadie Hoyt died from pneumonia in 1918. Sadie was a Chief Yeoman in the Navy. Her death left my grandmother Rosemary and her sister Anita to be raised by their aunt. Sadie’s sister Marian also joined the Navy. She died from “the influenza” in 1919.
On my mother’s side, two of her father’s sisters died in childhood. All of the family members who died lived in New York City.
I suspect many American families, and many families worldwide, were impacted in similar ways by the mysterious Spanish Flu.
In 1918, “influenza” or flu was a catchall term for disease of unknown origin. It didn’t carry the specific meaning it does today.
It meant some mystery disease which dropped out of the sky. In fact, influenza is from the Medieval Latin “influential” in an astrological sense, meaning a visitation under the influence of the stars.
*
Note to readers: please click the share buttons above or below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc.
Dr Gary G. Kohls lives in the USA and writes a weekly column, entitled Duty to Warn, for the Duluth Reader, Duluth, Minnesota’s alternative newsweekly magazine. His columns deal with the dangers of American Friendly Fascism, corporatism, Oligarchy, militarism, racism, malnutrition, and Big Pharma’s over-drugging and over-vaccinating agendas as well as other movements that threaten the environment, democracy, civility, health and the sustainability and livability of the planet and the future of the children. Dr. Kohls is a frequent contributor to Global Research
Many of Dr Kohls’ columns have been archived at a number of websites, including:
IS HISTORY REPEATING? DR FREDERICK GATES-SPANISH FLU-WW1 & BILL GATES -COVID/HEMORRHAGIC FEVER-WW3*
NO, Here Is The Truth About The American Flu/ Spanish Flu Of 1918
WATCH: Anthony Fauci Expresses Regret For Not Locking Down America Sooner and Laughs Off COVID LabLeak Theory – Cried Like a Baby While Watching Biden Inauguration
The Gateway Pundit reported earlier this week on a DC resident filleting Dr. Anthony Fauci and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser as they went door to door in his Anacostia neighborhood encouraging residents to receive the COVID -19 vaccine.
The exchange was documented by PBS as part of an upcoming program on Fauci. The incident reportedly happened in June 2021.
The footage also shows Fauci talking to Bowser and revealing exactly what he thinks of Republicans who question the COVID shot and vaccine mandates.
He expressed vitriolic hatred and vowed to break their will.
They (Red-State Republicans) are going to keep the outbreak smoldering in the country (for refusing to get vaccinated). It’s so crazy.
They’re not doing it because they say they don’t want to. They’re Republicans. They don’t like being told what to do. We need to break that.
Now, more alarming footage from the documentary has been unearthed. Fauci expresses serious regret for not locking down America sooner and ordering mask mandates.
He even laughs off the mere thought of a lab leak causing the COVID pandemic, calling it “molecularly impossible.” All credible evidence actually points in that direction.
WATCH:
New video shows Fauci laughing off the idea that COVID came from a lab leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. pic.twitter.com/WbUE5iemd1
Dr. Anthony Fauci was shown laughing off the widely accepted lab-leak theory as “molecularly impossible” in a new documentary — while also saying he would’ve implemented quarantines and mask mandates sooner.
The then-White House adviser was followed by PBS throughout 2021 and 2022 as he became a polarizing figure while leading President Biden’s response to the pandemic.
In it, he railed against Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) “insidiously” suggesting in Congress in July 2021 that his National Institutes of Health had funded gain-of-function research at the lab in Wuhan where COVID first emerged.
“Rand Paul was insidiously throwing into his suggestions that the work done in the Wuhan lab, funded by a small grant from NIH … created a virus that made COVID,” Fauci said.
The Wuhan lab-leak theory is now eyed as the likely source of the virus by many government agencies, including the US Department of Energy and the FBI.
Fauci, however, laughed as he mocked the theory in one of 10 interviews he gave PBS throughout 23 months of filming.
“The microbe that we were working on, not only was not SARS-CoV-2, it would be molecularly impossible for them to turn it into SARS-CoV-2,” he said of the scientific name.
He was seen watching interviews he gave early in the pandemic dismissing masks as ineffective — and then later being the driving force for mandating them.
“Did you flip-flop? No,” he said of his own change of messaging. “You got additional information that made you change what you’re saying.”
Despite standing behind his change of heart, Fauci admitted that he regretted not ordering quarantines and telling people to wear masks sooner, despite numerous studies now suggesting both were ineffective.
“Maybe I should have done that,” he said. “Yeah, I was wrong.”
Footage from the documentary also shows Fauci crying as Biden officially assumes power.
Fauci says in the documentary that Biden does not approve of anything on COVID-19 unless “I say yes.”
Exploring the Torah in the life of Christians, picks up on points raised in previous sections. First, God uses the Torah within the event space of ancient Israel to not only expose sin (cf. Rom 7:7) but to reveal mankind’s desperate need for a Savior as well (cf. Rom 7:24,25). Second, keeping the law is a human response to God’s grace and not a way to merit His favor (cf. Deut 5); therefore, this NT theme is not new at all. Though not a referendum on all sin, the decision of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15, which “seemed good to the Holy Spirit,” acknowledges that observance of the law is no longer practiced as it had been previously, or perhaps, a better way of interpreting the decision, the law of Christ,[1] is in terms of fulfillment and clarification of the Pentateuch. God did not undergo evangelical conversion just prior to the NT; in fact, God repeatedly calls His people to Himself for their own good, and God lamented with the heartache of a forsaken parent when His people turned to other gods.[2] As Craig Keener puts it, “Israel’s loving God, her betrayed and wounded lover, is ultimately fully revealed in Jesus as the God of the cross, the God who would rather bear our judgment than let us be estranged from him forever.”[3] Therefore, without the Torah, there would be no messianic vision, no promise to fulfill, and no Christ.
Speaking metaphorically, E. A. Martens contends, “A mother is not inconsistent when at one moment she sharply instructs her children not to cut the flowers in the flower garden, yet moments later asks a daughter to cut some flowers for a table bouquet,” to explain that God may choose to alter His directives as lawgiver, and that change does not indicate inconsistency.[4] Jesus’ response with regard to God’s position on divorce in Matthew 19 reiterates: “He said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so’” (ESV)[5] in verse 8. Whereas the Pentateuchal civil system seeks to regulate behavior within ancient Israelite society, for example capital offenses reveal acts that the law took so seriously it stipulated death sentences, it is incorrect to conclude that the church is granted carte blanche freedom to execute capital punishment for the same offenses (Deut 13:10-11; 17:12-13; 19:18-20; 21:21);[6] what is more, the corrective action ordered by Paul in reaction to the case of incest in I Corinthians 5 substantiates this understanding. Nowhere does Paul, or Jesus, denigrate or dismiss the OT law, as Jesus’ elaboration to His opponents makes plain in Matthew 5:18-48;[7] therefore, the Torah actually demands an even higher standard in the life of Christians. While Israel’s civil code states, “You shall not kill” or “commit adultery,” Jesus goes even further by demanding, “You shall not want to kill” or “want to commit adultery.”[8] Matthew 5 shares the same accord as Leviticus 19 by proclaiming the message that a “lawgiver stands behind their injunctions,” meaning that a “personal will is more determinative than any verbal proposition;” hence, the Torah is a legitimate expression of God’s will, but the law does not express “the sum of the divine will.”[9]
After his rebuke in Galatians 5 concerning circumcision, Paul concludes in verse 6, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” The issue of circumcision sparks debate today just as it did during Paul’s time and is a favorite of skeptics who see it as grounds for biblical inconsistency, even inconsistency within the writings attributed Paul (cf. Acts 16:3). Circumcision is ideal for exploring a proposed dichotomy between fulfilling the heart of the law through Christ and not being burdened with the letter of the law. With regard to the Sabbath, Paul employs the same thinking (cf. Col 2:16). Although Christians are not called to live out the precise mandates of the law, there are occasions, as in cases of the morality, where they do, though it is not out of any legalistic, civil obligation, but rather, in order to live out the spirit the law expects. Thus, concerning abiding in Christ, “This love brings the Christian into harmony with God’s character and law of love. To receive God’s gift is to accept, cooperate with, and live out the moral transformation that he offers. The strength that he makes available.”[10]
The accounts in Luke in which Jesus instructs the wealthy ruler in to sell all that he owns and give the proceeds to the poor, then responds favorably to Zacchaeus’ offer to give half of his possessions to the poor and to pay back four times the amount to anyone he had cheated in the next chapter, illustrate Paul’s point to the Galatians about circumcision that God’s primary interest is with the heart. As circumcision is the cutting away of something signifying a removal of that which has been cut away, Paul writes to the Romans, “But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God“ (2:29). In addition, application of this understanding offers insight into Acts 16: “Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek” (3). In the case of the Galatians, circumcision became a question of fundamental doctrine; whereas, Paul’s decision to circumcise Timothy was done so as to reach Jews who would have otherwise shut him down at the onset. What may initially seem like an invitation to flexibility in interpretation and implementation of the law, Jesus, again, actually demands more;[11] the removal of flesh is inadequate in comparison to circumcision of the heart.
“And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live” (Deut 30:6). The Torah tells of a time when God will circumcise more than flesh but the heart; therefore, the NT view of circumcision is foretold and consequently not distinct from the law at all. Gane’s conclusion is within the same line of thought in that converted Christians are those for whom God’s commandments are not burdensome, because their obedience is from the heart, not the flesh.[12] Covenant continuity between Testament eras exists in a way that demonstrates God’s covenant faithfulness and grace rather than a disconnected dichotomy of law verses gospel. Therefore, the Torah in the life of Christians “reveals something about God; it also orders the life of the community, and its telos is a character of holiness. Even more, the law is life-giving, life-enhancing.”[13] While the Torah serves a purpose and function within the historical context of ancient Israel, its fulfillment in Jesus of Nazareth is a manifest expression of God’s covenant faithfulness found throughout the canon of Scripture. Christ is the perfect atoning sacrifice, once and for all; we have been made clean!
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb 13:8).
I don’t know what your stance is and experiences are with leisure activities / entertainment and Christianity?
Me, I have been sooooo cautious due to my past, as I came out of the occult and almost died from their attacks.
I have been putting SOOOO much work into consecrating myself and doing my best to live a holy life.
I will be completely honest with you: This has been hard. Extremely hard.
And I am “the odd one” in almost all circles I go to – if I ever go, that is…. the situations where I socialize is mainly at work and if I have to participate in any work related “fun” activities, team “away-days” etc…. even in church, I hardly ever engage in more than “small talk” whenever I am attending something, as I am aware that my lifestyle is very different to the way other people, including other Christians, live.
I don’t watch TV, I am not on netflix, I don’t go to clubs, I don’t smoke or drink, a big one is I don’t listen to any unclean music and I am not into knowing or entertaining what any celebrity or royalty is currently up to….
To continue this list (if you are still reading?), I don’t do yoga, pilates, martial arts, meditation, therapy, mindfulness (huge problem in the field where I work, as “they” want all clients to practice mindfulness!!!), I don’t read books by any of the Obamas or Prince Harry etc….
This makes it hard to speak with me – for other people – as the topics are quite limited (for them) – if they don’t want to speak about GOD.
And I find that most people don’t want to speak about GOD (or related matters) in their “free time” – including Christians.
For me, that makes no sense, which, again, makes me the “odd one” – and 1-2-1 conversations are a bit easier, but in larger/ small talk settings, the conversation is normally going to one or all of the abovementioned topics and I cannot / don’t want to engage, and most of the time – unless asked directly – I don’t say anything, but when I do, it is normally that I tell them I don’t watch TV or that I am not on netflix and then they are normally embarrassed and don’t want to speak to me anymore.
I mean, I get it.
Unbelievers will think I am crazy and many Christians will think I am too extreme – OR they will feel bad, as they are convicted by the HOLY SPIRIT that this is what GOD wants for us.
It’s what I believe HE wants – at least for ME.
And I would be a complete fool after all I have been through not to do what HE wants me to do.
Not only would I be a fool, I would also be a dead fool, as the devil and his witches would kill me the very same second as GOD would remove HIS protection from me.
In a way, I am fortunate.
As I have an “integrated evil-detector” in my system and I kid you not, it is physical, I get like a sound and like some kind of alarm inside or perhaps similar to a very strong “ick” you would feel when something groces you out.
PLUS, if, or when I decided to do anything sinful, I can immediately feel the physical sensation of the satanic “energy” being allowed to move through my body – and with this comes the knowing that these “vibrations” are up to no good and will harm me!!!
This is to help anyone reading this understand that firstly, I am not doing and saying all these things because I want to be better than anyone!!! For me, this is and has been a matter of life and death.
Secondly, I am not trying to make anyone feel bad or teaching them anything, however, if you want to be free and need to be delivered from something (and I believe EVERYBODY does!!) – this is what you, too, will need to do in order for GOD to be able to protect you.
You see, GOD is a GOD of covenant.
And HE is gentle.
HE leaves us our free will and we can all choose what to do and whom to serve. And if we want to make a covenant with his enemy, GOD will let us!!!
The devil on the other hand is sneaky, deceptive, cruel and mean.
He will never come through the front door, unless people will deliberately call him, which already means that he has been deceiving them prior to them wanting to serve him, otherwise they wouldn’t have this desire in the first place.
There are probably less people who consciously wanted to and did sell their soul to the devil (friends, I am telling you, this stuff is REAL!!!) than those who have been tricked into belonging to him.
Via accepting/ receiving a bait and “opening the door” to the devil and his evil spirits.
When that happens, THE SPIRIT OF GOD will leave.
Perhaps not completely and perhaps not instantly.
But a covenant had been formed between this soul and the kingdom of darkness.
This means that GOD is unable to protect this soul, as this soul has rejected HIM and has thus decided, yes, made the conscious decision, to belong to the devil. This allows the devil to torment this person.
Physically, emotionally, financially, to afflict their health – mental and physical -, their relationships, their career – ALL areas of their life, just as GOD will bless us in all these areas, the devil is allowed to harm us there if we let him in.
What I never understood and what is so crucial to understand is that we are NEVER our own.
There are only 2 choices we can make and it will always be one or the other: we and our lives either belong to GOD or to the devil.
It is one of the greatest lies of the enemy that we can do what we want, in fact, that’s been his best selling slogan ever since GOD created mankind – starting with Eve!!!, he made her believe that she can eat this fruit although GOD had told her not to – this is the main principle and the the “theme” which is still ongoing TODAY.
GOD says we cannot do something – the devil says “don’t mind him, just do what you want”- and then we are without GOD’s protection, kicked out of HIS covenant, out of paradise if you will, naked / without protection spiritually…….
So recently, I was invited to a restaurant and we were going there with some “church people” – not from my church, but from a church I was visiting…. and we were talking over food and we came to the topic of yoga.
Friends, you know my views about yoga, they are based on my own experiences and on a lot of research and I recommend that you look into this (if you haven’t already), because YOGA could be the reason why you are having nightmares, suffering from insomnia or being raped in your dreams – if you like, you can read my article about it here, it is called The “gods” of the New Age
So I spoke about yoga with these Christians…. and I shared my views that I firmly believe it is satanic and that it is hindu worship, whether the person practicing it knows it or not, whether they want it or not… they agreed with me and added some of what they had read or heard about it.
So far, so good.
It then went on to Pilates and they asked me of my view about it and I said that I believe it’s the very same thing – and I saw shock in their eyes – and luckily, before one of them, whom they called and who is obviously practicing Pilates, before she had to react to them telling her what I had said, the food came and the conversation was about the food…..
Later, we spoke about music and TV – and when I shared that I don’t watch any of it or don’t listen to “unclean” music, we spoke about some shows on TV and I confessed that I did watch some very satanic shows in my past before I got saved – including “The Vampire Diaries” – and this is a no-brainer, but it it’ s a very good example of how the devil works – he mixes entertainment with demonisation, he mixes truth with lies, he confuses us and lets us overstep GOD’s boundaries and “BOOM” – he has us and the door is open for him!!!
On a side note, it was even during the worst times of when I was under attack when I liked to watch horror movies – never before in my life have I liked them!!! – and I felt a sense of relief when “evil content” was playing on TV… at the time, I thought it was because I learned more about the “evil energy” and overcame it by “desensitizing myself to it. How wrong I was: it was more because of the devil leaving me alone during this time, because by watching more of this “junk”, I was deliberately (even if unknowingly!!!) opening more doors for more evil spirits to enter me!
One of them said ‘can I watch “friends”‘ – and everyone laughed, as if it was obvious that this show is harmless and that it must be a joke to even ask the question – and that’s when everyone again went on to believing that I am “the odd one”, when I said “apart from the sexual immorality in there” – and she replied “what CAN we watch then” – and after this question, everyone decided to change the topic.
That’s fine.
And I am not here to preach or teach anyone who isn’t willing or ready (I did that in the beginning as a “baby Christian” and I don’t think I was effective other than in effectively offending people…..)
Many may have to suffer the consequences before they are willing to learn and to listen…not to me, but mainly to GOD.
HE put these rules in the book for a reason – not to spoil all the fun for us, but to be able to protect us.
The error is soooo old, friends!!!
I write for the ones who know that something is wrong and want to change that, want to be FREE from demonic or satanic harassment, who want to sleep through at night, who want to have their peace back!
And this is how I see it:
If you believe or know that something isn’t right.
And you will know what I mean if you are under satanic attack!!!
IF you want to get rid of this pain, of this terror, this harassment, disturbance, “bad luck”, obsessive thoughts or habits or compulsions or addictions – whatever it is you are going through!!! – have you considered that the source this is coming from could be supernatural???
If you believe this could be so, please look into deliverance!!
Study it. Pray about it. Do your research.
You MAY have to “scan” all your habits, belongings and beliefs for “satanic viruses / malware” – if you want to be free?
Including what you are listening to and watching!
Let GOD lead you!
And if you want to, you can consider me crazy, odd, strange or radical – I don’t mind.
But if something is bothering you, don’t let this stop you!
Don’t let the fact that a “crazy person” told you this keep you from looking into it, from getting help!!!
There is a lot of information on this blog about all these topics and I am also pointing you towards many other sources on the internet.
You could visit my page here “Need deliverance” to find out more and other than that, every single article on this blog is trying to point you towards seeking deliverance and breaking free from the bondage the enemy wants to keep you in….and to bring you to the GREAT DELIVERER, to the ONE who can set you free – JESUS CHRIST.
Me, I believe “what can we watch then?” is the wrong question. For me, it’s not about living a life filled with as many pleasantries as possible – and during the rest of the time, we could try to serve GOD?
This may work for some, or even for many people, and they may feel restricted by the “rules”, by what they cannot do if they want to be obedient to GOD.
I understand that and it wasn’t easy for me either to give up everything GOD told me to give up!!!
Me, I had no choice.
And I understand more and more how privileged I am that GOD taught me all these things, so I could share them with those willing to learn.
The way I understand GOD and what HE wants for us and from us is that there is no such thing as living in between worlds and separating between “GOD-time” and “leisure time” as if it was a job!
I believe HE wants ALL of us, wants us to put HIM first, to obey HIM and to devote ALL areas of our lives to HIM at ALL times.
So the right question for me would be “how can I enjoy myself in a godly way”? Because GOD wants us to drink, eat and be merry – it’s in the bible!
Or even better: “LORD, what do you want me to do today or with this time I have on my hands”?
Perhaps GOD wants us to serve more?
I know this is definitely true for me!
But then we will have to negotiate with HIM – tell HIM how exhausted we are and that HE needs to give us more strength or better health or that HE generally needs to help us so that we will be able to help others more and better….
In the end, it ‘s about pleasing HIM or am I wrong?
So the question “what CAN I watch” is not coming from this perspective – it comes from a selfish perspective, a carnal one – “how can I please my flesh without upsetting GOD” – whereas our quest should be the other way round.
Not saying I get it right all the time.
And I am even admitting that I miss my TV shows and the music I was into….. however, I don’t miss the evil spirits they brought to my body, my dreams and my life – and the one thing that I would miss the MOST is GOD’s presence – if HE would be displeased about me, if HE would turn away from me, if THE HOLY SPIRIT would stop speaking to me.
NOTHING is worth loosing my relationship to GOD over.
The satisfaction, saturation, fulfillment and PEACE HE brings is not even comparable with any amusement, any “enjoyment” the enemy, aka the world could possibly offer me – because all they have is what I like to call “cheap thrills” and “fake copies” – sex for love, drugs for peace, “excitement” for the buzz of being filled with the fire of GOD, success for purpose, money for contentment….and their thrills are not only cheap and fake, they are also very temporary, whereas GOD’s gifts and blessings are permanent, even eternal!
Only GOD has “the real deal”.
Me, I sin sometimes because I can’t help myself…. but I never feel good afterwards.
Never.
Because of what I have been through, I am literally able to perceive the direct change in my reality, how I am getting vulnerable, how my armour is not effective any longer and how the enemy is now able to attack me at night as a direct consequence of what I have been watching or listening to, out of rebellion or despair or just not being able to resist the temptation…
It’s not a joke, my friends.
There is a battle over our souls going on every day, 24/7.
GOD is fighting for our salvation and the enemy doesn’t want to let us go.
And it starts small.
With a song…. or a TV show….
In prison (and also outside), offenders are known for trying to groom people into “doing them favours” and in the end bringing something into the prison (drugs, phones, whatever).
And it always starts very small – I’ve been there, they’ve tried it with me! They would just innocently touch your arm during a conversation or as a greeting or goodbye and if this goes by unchallenged, they would do the next one, invade one’s personal space during a conversation, trying to flirt a little, or test if threats would work…. it begins very subtle, of course, staff who work in the field are trained to detect the signs, but in the world, this is also very common!
“Just once”
“a little can’t hurt” – you know what I am talking about!
In prison, to stay with the example, “just once” can be enough for the person to be obliged to having to do this again and again, because they will then be blackmailed that they would be reported for the first transgression if they refuse to commit another one.
After all, as we all know, once is all it takes to get pregnant!!
And it’s the same with the devil – he can enter anyone – and he will !!!! – when the door has been opened.
GOD may have mercy and not allow it the first time and try and convict the person, but at some point, HE will respect our choice!
And will let us become hit by the consequences…..
So when we ask questions of “what is allowed”, we are already moving on the edge, close to what isn’t…. if that makes sense?
We are not considering the kingdom, but it’s boundaries and we are focused on them.
Which will at least make us ineffective for GOD – if not in danger even…. we are on the fence, looking at life on the other side…
As soon as we are asking when we need to be back home, it means we are intending to go out – or at least contemplating…
Yes, GOD will forgive us and even rescue us if we fall or get bitten by the serpent – but sometimes, HE will also let us suffer from the consequences….
In a spiritual sense, it is better to stay inside and not go out at all – to translate it into watching shows or listen to music, if we are unsure if it is clean, it is probably or very likely not and if we are unsure if it is for us, it is probably NOT.
And me, I like this just as much as you do – which means to a degree of 0%. However, what I DO like is GOD’s protection and HIS power to defeat all the demonic and satanic attacks that have been coming against me for SO many years now.
We cannot live in both worlds.
It doesn’t matter how much we may want to.
We don’t make the rules.
The CREATOR does.
And if we want HIS protection, salvation, deliverance and divine wisdom, we need to surrender to HIM, give our lives to HIM and follow HIS rules. There is no other way.
JESUS is the way, the truth and the life. HE died on the cross for your sins, yes, that’s right, for yours and mine… it is all such a fascinating and yet true story. JESUS CHRIST came to earth as the SON OF GOD to save us all from the devil. And HIS works are still relevant today, HE is as alive today as he was more than 2000 years ago. And if you are not saved, HE wants to save you today, right here and right now: please don’t stay under the power of the king of darkness, please join us and give your life to THE LORD.
Here is an example of what you can pray in your heart right now, if you want to make JESUS LORD over your life:
“Dear Heavenly Father, I acknowledge and confess that I have not lived my life for YOU to this day, but have been living for myself and in sin and that is wrong. Please forgive me of all of my sins just as I forgive others. I need YOU in my life; I want YOU in my life. I recognize the completed work of YOUR only begotten Son JESUS CHRIST in giving HIS life for me on the cross, I believe in my heart JESUS is LORD and that HE was raised from the dead and ask for YOUR forgiveness, which YOU have made freely available to me through this sacrifice. Come into my life now, LORD! Take up residence in my heart and be my KING, my LORD, and my SAVIOUR! From this day forward, I will no longer be controlled by sin, or the desire to please myself, but I will follow YOU all the days of my life. Those days are in YOUR hands. I ask this Jesus name. Amen.”
If you have just prayed this prayer, you are now part of GOD’s kingdom and family and I heartily welcome you, my dear brother or sister!
The next thing to do is get a bible and find a church where you can receive further instructions, so that your new life in THE LORD may prosper and that you will become who HE made you to be.
GOD bless you and if you have any questions or need any assistance, please get in touch.
I hope and pray that this will inspire, encourage, deliver, heal and bless you. And that GOD will bless you abundantly in all areas of your life, that HE will keep you and shine HIS face upon you and bring you peace. In JESUS’ name I pray. AMEN.
Ruth mosaic, Church of Hagia Maria Zion-The Dormition Church in Jerusalem
“Then Boaz said, ‘The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance’” (Ruth 4:5).
“Then Boaz said, ‘The day you buy [קָנָה] the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire [קָנָה] Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance’” (Ruth 4:5, ESV).[1] The use of the verb קָנָה in the Book of Ruth is unique to the rest of the OT. Whereas the OT use of קָנָה generally indicates a master-slave acquisitional relationship when used in a human to human interaction, the context of marriage appears only in Ruth.[2] Because the Book of Ruth exemplifies a theology of justification through faith in that a Gentile is grafted into the family of God and ordained to play a role within the fulfillment of the messianic promise,[3] the use of קָנָה in the context of marriage bodes further study.
Strong’s Concordance notes the occurrence of קָנָה once in Ruth 4:4 and twice in Ruth 4:5 to indicate an acquisition, though the text reveals that redemption is actually what is in view.
So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ‘Buy [קָנָה] it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.” Then Boaz said, “The day you buy [קָנָה] the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire [קָנָה] Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance” (Ruth 4:4,5).
Though the terms “redeem” and “acquire” are common in the OT, apart from Ruth their use together is found in only Exodus 15:13-16 and Psalms 74:2, which suggests that these occurrences are used exclusively to convey a redemptive action undertaken by Yahweh on behalf of the children of Israel.[4] The unnamed redeemer’s response in Ruth that he might endanger his own inheritance should he act as the kinsman redeemer, indicates that the use of קָנָה here does not signify Ruth as property to be bought but regarded within the perspective of redemption. What is more, Ruth’s transformation from foreigner to resident is further solidified by virtue of her access to the social regulation of the kinsman redeemer, which would have been unavailable otherwise.[5] Concerning Ruth’s securing marriage with Boaz in chapter 3, “even as Naomi acted in an assertive manner by ordering her daughter-in-law to the threshing floor and pressing for a controversially exogamous but nonetheless lawful marriage.”[6] Therefore, despite the Deuteronomic prohibition against marriage with a Moabite “not even in the tenth generation,” Ruth’s vow to Naomi, and ultimately to God, shows that she is no longer seen as a Moabite, and Boaz’s pledge to Ruth establishes the redemptive context of קָנָה.
[1] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the English Standard Version.
[3] Benjamin Mangrum, “Bringing ‘fullness’ to Naomi: centripetal nationalism in the book of Ruth,” Horizons in Biblical Theology 33, no 1 (2011): 80.
[4] Brad Embry, “’Redemption-acquistion’: the marriage of Ruth as a theological commentary on Yahweh and Yahweh’s people,” Journal of Theological Interpretation 7, no 2 (Fall 2013): 258-59.
NarrowPathMinistries 